Deadly Fostering
by QueenOfDarkComedy
Summary: Fifteen year old Andy Barclay has a new foster mother. But things are not what they seem with this unconventional woman...An Andy and Tiffany centric story. (One Shot)


"Where am I going?" Andy asked his social worker, Valerie Price as she was driving him outside of the Chicago city limits. The city skyline was getting smaller and smaller as they drove further and further away.

Andy Barclay was now 15 years old. He was tired from constantly being uprooted and shuffled from foster home to foster home. It had been seven years since he had lived with his mother. He missed her dearly. He looked out the window at the blue sky and clouds that looked like swirls. Off in the distance he noticed the clouds going from white to a darker shade of gray.

"Oh, I think you're going to like this place, Andy. The apartment is small and the area is a little remote…but she's a nice lady. She was really excited to hear that you were coming. " Valerie looked in her rear view mirror and smiled at Andy.

"Oh yeah?" Andy had the slightest inkling of hope that perhaps he'd actually be able to stay in a foster home for more than a month or two at a time.

"You betcha." Valerie winked at Andy. "Now it's about ten miles outside of the city. It's not too far.. You'll still be able to visit your mother on the weekends. We'll have a car pick you up on Saturdays."

"That sounds good." Andy said optimistically, smiling.

"Great. We're almost there."

Valerie speeds off into the long stretch of road.

Twenty minutes later, Valerie and Andy arrive at what looks like an old, rickety, victoria style house, but divided into two apartments; an upstairs and downstairs.

Andy gets out of the car and immediately senses something off. He stares at the apartment house. It looks as though it's about to fall apart. In fact, he watches as the wind blows a bit of the siding off the wall of the outside of the house.

They really did put me in the middle of nowhere….thought Andy.

The top apartment door opens. Out pops a very unconventional looking woman. She has blonde dyed hair, heavy dark make-up, and a tight, dark purple dress with little black roses peppering it. To Andy, she looks as if she just stepped out of a Halloween party.

"Hi!" the young woman starts to say in a very girly, high-pitched voice as she walks down the steps in her black platform stilettos.

"We're here!" Valerie says in an overly cheerful voice. She walks up to meet her. "Hiiii, I'm Valerie. I'm Andy Barclay's social worker with Chicago social services.

"Oh, hello." She shakes Valerie's hand and then turns her attention towards Andy. She smiles and takes a few steps toward him. "And you must be Andy."

"Yeah." Andy says nervously, barely braking a smile. He feels a weird tension in the air.

"It's nice to meet you, Andy. I'm Tiffany," she extends her hand for him to shake.

Andy looks at her long; black nails and a _huge _diamond ring. He hesitantly shakes her hand. "Hi."

"Andy's a little shy." Valerie lets out a laugh.

Tiffany giggles. "Why don't I take your backpack."

"I got it..." Andy adjusts his backpack.

"Why don't you head upstairs and have a look around, Sweetface." Tiffany winks at Andy and pats him on the shoulder. "I'll be up there in a minute."

Tiffany turns her attention to Valerie, who handed her a clipboard.

Andy makes his way up the stairs.

He pauses for a second…and pushes the door open.

There's a still, dead silence.

He scanned the living room.

The first thing he sees peppered around the shelves that immediately trigger his heart to race:

Dolls.

Not too many of them…but enough.

"What the hell?" Andy scoffed to himself. He shook his head. "Did they _not_ _read_ my file? Seriously?"

Andy continues to scan the living room. Apparently, this woman's dress style extended to her taste in interior design. The place had a very gothicy, rockstar homemaker/housewife look to it.

He swallowed uncomfortably. This wasn't his style, but was something he supposed he could get used to.

Andy sighed.

"You like what you see?" said Tiffany from behind him.

This startled Andy.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sweetface. Did I frighten you?" she asked very sweetly.

"No," Andy shook his head. "I mean—_no_, you didn't frighten me."

Valerie knocked on the open door. "Knock, knock," she brought in Andy's suitcase. "Andy, Tiffany's going to take good care of you. I'm gonna give you my card." Valerie handed Andy her card. "You call me if you have any questions, OK kiddo?"

"Alright." Andy nodded.

"You're going to have a lovely time, I can feel it." she winked at Andy.

Tiffany waved goodbye to Valerie, before she walked out the door.

Tiffany walked over to the kitchen area. "You hungry?" She looked right at him.

"Yeah."

"I didn't know what your favorite food was, so I made you some egg drop soup." Tiffany started to stir the pot of soup in front of her. "It was my mothers recipe."

"I love eggs!" Andy said in a more upbeat tone.

Tiffany smirked as she continued to face the soup and stir the pot.

"That's perfect." She turned around and smiled at Andy.

Andy smiled back.

"Why don't you take some time to make yourself at home. Get familiar with your surroundings."

"OK, where do I sleep?"

"Oh yeah. Your room is down the hall to the left, Sweetface."

Andy grabbed his suitcase and wheeled it down the short hall into the bedroom.

He scanned the room. The wallpaper in that room was a pale light blue with different types of flowers of all colors, but the décor was still dark. He put his backpack on his bed and opened his suitcase.

He reached into his bag and grabbed out a picture. It was a picture of his mother and himself.

Andy smiled and set the picture on the dresser. He walked over to the closet. A few articles of clothing…_mens clothing_…were hanging there.

A couple of business…or funeral suits with their ties, a red Hawaiian shirt, a few black collared and a white collared shirt were among them. They smelled of decay and death.

Either way, they seemed familiar. He just couldn't place how.

"You need help, sweetfa—_Oh_…." Andy turned around and Tiffany's face turned white with anxiety. She rushed up to the closet. "Let me move those for you, sweetface!"

Tiffany quickly scooped up all of the clothing in the closet and ripped it down, breaking of the pole.

"Ooops, scuse me…" Tiffany chuckled nervously.

"Need any help?" Andy asked.

"Oh no, that's quite alright. I just forgot about these being here is all." Tiffany still chuckled nervously. "The soup's ready."

Andy picked up the pole and started to fix it.

Andy had been staying with Tiffany for a little over a month now.

He wasn't sure what to make of her. Sure, she was sweet….but Andy still couldn't shake this sense that something was off with his new living situation.

"I'm off to work, sweetface." Tiffany grabbed her purse and headed for the door. "I left a TV dinner in the freezer for you incase you get hungry."

"Thanks, Tiffany…" Andy barely broke a smile. He picked up the remote control.

"The number to the bar is on fridge. " she winked at him. "I'll be home in a few hours."

Tiffany closed the door behind her.

Andy switched on the TV; the 5 o'clock news right in sync with the TV being switched on.

"_Good evening, Chicagoian. I'm Heather Toska reporting from the studios of Chicago. Police are still searching for 21 year old, Marleigh Balser. The young woman went missing five weeks ago, and was last seen walking home from her place of employment, The Little Red Bunnie bar off Ambroziak street and Chandler Lane in Chicago's rural area. She was wearing a hot pink and red wool sweater. If you have any information or possible leads, you are asked to contact the station at 312-XXX-XXXX or the victims' brother and sister, Iric Smothers, Coral Fidram at 603-XXX-XXXX. Back to you, Marcy Marie."  
_

The newscasters trailed off….

Andy peered over at the refrigerator.

He paused hesitantly.

Then got up and walked over to the fridge.

He took the piece of paper that Tiffany found and read the name above the number she left:

"The Little Red Bunnie…" Andy mumbled to himself.

He thought about it for a second. "….Hmmmm…I wonder if she worked with Tiffany?" he asked himself...

Either way, maybe it was a coincidence. He shook off the thought "Andy, you're being paranoid."

He left the piece of paper on the counter and walked off.

Over the next few days, Andy had seen Tiffany in and out of the apartment, bringing in various 'home décor' that included scented candles, new back and purple curtains, flowers, and some extra groceries.

Andy had been sitting at the table, doing his homework.

"Are you sure you don't need help bringing any of that stuff in?" Andy asked politely.

"Oh no, sweetface." Tiffany said half listening to Andy. "I got it."

There was an awkward pause.

Andy hesitated, but had to ask, "Are you expecting someone?"

Tiffany dropped a candle in a glass holder on the ground, shattering the candle holder to pieces.

"Not exactly. Why do you ask?" asked Tiffany with a bit of curiosity and suspicion in her voice.

Andy was almost at a loss for words. "…Uh…I don't know…you just seem to be getting the place all," he cleared his throat. "*Dolled* up is all."

Tiffany's look of surprise turned into a very suspicious smirk. She looked up as if she was thinking. "I guess you could call it that." She shrugged and continued unloading her things.

"I guess so…." Andy chuckled nervously, but still wasn't sure what to think of Tiffany's behavior. By this point, he seemed to have a sense of humor about it.

"Oh yeah!" Tiffany sounded as though she just came to a realization. "I got you a present."

"Really?" This surprised Andy.

"It gets cold in the winter out here…" She handed him a bright blue colored box.

Andy tore it open. It was a brown leather jacket with sheep's wool on the collar.

"Oh, Tiff…I can't accept this."

"Please do." Tiffany smiled. "My mother always said a gift to another is a giving of a piece of your heart that connects you to them forever."

"That's very sweet. Thank you, Tiffany." Andy said grateful.

He put the jacket on.

"It does get lonely from time to time. I'm glad you're here, Andy."

Tiffany came up to Andy and gave him a big hug.

"Ever since my boyfriend passed away, things have been a struggle."

"Was that who the clothing belonged to?" asked Andy.

"Yeah." A tear rolled down Tiffany's cheek.

"Hope I didn't upset you."

"Oh no, I just get a little teary eyed from time to time. Nothing big. I loved him very much."

"What was his name?"

Tiffany paused for a second. "Charles." She said, a part of her looked as if she were holding back.

I guess 'Charles' is a common name, thought Andy. He didn't like it for obvious reasons.

"Yeah…we were going to get married and have kids. He left me an engagement ring." Tiffany seemed to open up, and Andy wasn't sure he wanted to hear.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Andy nodded to Tiffany.

"Thank you, sweetface."

A week later, Andy was outside doing some yard work for Tiffany. It was the beginning of Autumn, and the leaves were starting to fall from the trees.

He raked the entire yard free of any falling leaves, stuffed them in bags and lined them against the apartment building.

After the last bag was set up against the house, Andy's eye was drawn to what looked like a chalk gray piece of something sticking out of the flowerbed.

The downstairs neighbors dog was picking at it.

"What?" Andy said to himself. He walked slowly over to the flowerbed and bent down. His curiosity was peaked.

"Go on, get outta here." Andy shooed the Labrador off.

He started to sift through the dirt, digging at the object sticking out of the flowerbed. He dug a deep enough hole and pulled it out.

He observed what looked like a piece of bone.

Could it be a pig ear for a dog? He thought. …No, it's much too thick. It looked more like a human shoulder blade. Andy set the 'bone' down and dug a little deeper.

What he found next horrified him.

He pulled out a humerus bone, one that was probably connected to the shoulder blade. With it, came a small shred of a heavily dirt covered hot pink and red striped sweater.

Andy flashed back to the missing girl he saw on television only a few weeks back. Andy backed away from flowerbed in disgust.

It can't be….Andy looked up at the window to the upstairs apartment. Tiffany was on the phone. She stepped out onto the porch.

"Andy! Phone call. It's your mom." Tiffany winked.

Andy swallowed nervously. He could feel his mouth drying up. He peered at the flowerbed.

"Uh….give me a second…I still need to grab this last bag." Andy called up. He faked a smile.

"Don't be too long, sweetface." Tiffany disappeared inside the apartment and set the phone on the table.

Andy watched as Tiffany walked out of sight and rushed to the flowerbed to bury the bones as fast and as deep as he could. He took off his gloves and rushed up the stairs.

The following night, Andy waited until Tiffany left the apartment.

"Have a good night at work, Tiffany." Andy waved to her as she headed towards the door. He was sitting down doing homework.

"Bye, sweetface."

As soon as the door latched, Andy waited 30 seconds, heard the car door slam, and cautiously walked over to the window to look peer out the closed blinds. Tiffany drove off. He waited at least a minute after Tiffany's car was out of sight.

Andy tiptoed into Tiffany's room.

Who was this woman? He asked himself. Hopefully, he was about to answer that very question.

Andy turned on a flashlight, just in case Tiffany were to come back.

He was hell bent on looking for something; anything that might confirm his eerie feelings that he had about Tiffany. He wasn't sure what he was going to do after the bones he found buried in the back yard. If Tiffany or her neighbor was responsible for the murder of that young woman…too many thoughts raced through his mind. If he called the police…with his record…? …Andy laughed nervously…that would be the last straw for social services.

Andy flashed the flashlight in the direction of the closet. He walked over and started digging through a mountain of clothing that sat on top of a couple of small boxes. His eye was drawn to a black box. He grabbed it out of the closet and found a stack of photographs and newspaper clippings.

Andy started to rifle through them.

Once he set eyes on the newspaper clippings his flesh started to crawl.

_Boy Claims Doll Was Possessed By Serial Killer's Soul; Boy Blames Doll For Murders; Serial Killer Charles Lee Ray Gunned Down By Chicago Police; Play Pals Toys On Verge Of Bankruptcy; Charles Lee Ray Dead And Family's Are Relieved; etc. _

Andy rifled through them, his heart racing like a jackrabbit. He looked into the box and found his file from social services. He thumbed through it quickly.

How much did this woman know about him exactly? And why did she have all of these newspaper clippings of him and Chucky?

Andy flashed back.

"_What was your boyfriends name?" _

"…_Charles." _

Andy picked up a photograph that sent such a chill down his spine he dropped it.

It was a photograph of a younger Tiffany and Charles Lee Ray. They were holding each other; Chucky's deadly smirk and eyes seem to be staring right back at Andy through the picture.

That picture told him all he needed to know. Andy sloppily through the file and photographs back into the box and shoved it back into the closet and threw Tiffany's clothing over the box.

He got his suitcase and threw it on his bed. He had to leave tonight or risk ending up like Marleigh Balser in the back yard.

He spent the next 15 mins stuffing his belongings into that suitcase. The last thing in was the picture of him and his mother. He zipped the suitcase up.

"Going somewhere, sweetface?"

Andy slowly turned around.

Tiffany was holding a handgun, pointing it at Andy.

Andy slowly turned around. He saw the gun, gulped, and held up both hands.

"I know you went in my room. I know what you found."

"You're Chucky's girlfriend."

"I was hoping by bringing you here that he would soon follow."

Andy was trapped. "Tiffany, you don't have to do this. Chucky's dead."

"Not when he comes for you he's not." Tiffany responded, gun still pointed at Andy. "Chucky came back just for you and hasn't come to see me. Not once! That's going to change. You see…You're going to stay here until Chucky comes back and then him and I will be reunited. We're going to get married too."

"You killed that girl, didn't you…." Andy shook his head in disgust. "You're just like him…. You kill people. You destroy lives!"

"What do you care…?" Tiffany was getting annoyed with Andy stating the obvious. She rolled her eyes. "Now unpack your things.

Andy just stood there.

"MOVE!" Tiffany shouted.

Andy slowly turned around opened his suitcase.

He grabbed the picture of his mother and him. He nodded at the photograph. His mother was the only one who ever believed him.

"You remember what you said about being connected forever?" Andy asked Tiffany.

"What about it?"

"We may have crossed paths," Andy chucked the photograph at Tiffany's hands. "But yours ends here!"

"Ow!" Tiffany dropped the gun, which slid across the floor, towards the closet. Andy and Tiffany struggled on the ground, crawling over each other to reach the gun.

Andy reached for the gun and pistol-whipped Tiffany really hard across her face. She fell to the ground, unconscious.

Andy grabbed his suitcase and picture and high-tailed it out of the apartment.

He got to a pay phone and called the police.

"Hello? Yeah…I'd like to make an anonymous report. Yeah, I have some information on the missing girl, Marleigh Balser."

An hour after Andy left, Tiffany awoke. She looked around. Andy was gone, that much was obvious. She started to panic. She looked around. The police were bound to arrive any second. Tiffany threw her suitcase on her bed and stuffed it with as many items as humanly possible and took two of her suitcases and shoved them into the car.

It was a good thing she had all the evidence pointing to her downstairs neighbor.

Andy threw the pistol into a nearby lake and hitch hiked his way back to Chicago.

As he got into a car of a passing stranger, Andy reflected on his close call on his way back into the city.

These brushes with death were nothing new to him…He had done this dance once before and was prepared take all precautions necessary for any future encounters with twisted mad lovers and dolls.

Chucky and Tiffany, eh?

For Andy's sake, he hoped those two would never encounter one another, but he wasn't going to hold his breath.

The last thing he needed was to deal with a doll version of Bonnie & Clyde.


End file.
